When the Tenth Month Comes Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

When the Tenth Month Comes will move you. Other films may have better story-lines and better cinematography, but this one has the most vital ingredient: pure emotion. Watch it for free here on YouTube – let me know if you find it anywhere else!

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Why Watch When the Tenth Month Comes?
  • If you want to watch a great film from Vietnam
  • Witness the emotional impact of war – it’s emotional!
  • There’s ghost towns!
  • It’s currently available to watch for free here on YouTube – let me know if the video is taken down or you find it available elsewhere!
The Breakdown

When the Tenth Month Comes starts with a young woman named Duyen returning home. We first see her walking along a dirt road before she hops into a canoe to cross the river. Throughout the opening scene, her blank expression, partially obscured by her conical hat, makes it look like she’s preoccupied or not totally present. Whilst she’s on the canoe, she loses balance and falls in, losing a letter from her satchel. Combined with the dramatic opening music, it’s clear that she’s bravely holding back her emotions.

The story patiently reveals what has happened. First, we find out she has a husband who has not sent a letter to his family. When she is asked why he has not sent anything home, she never gives a clear answer. She says his duty as a Vietnamese soldier is keeping him busy. Whilst the answer convinces his family, the close-ups of her face do not convince us. It’s obvious she’s hiding her husband’s death from his loving family for fear of upsetting them.

Only one person finds out about the death of her husband, a local teacher and poet named Zhang. He agrees to held out Duyen by writing letters to her family signed by her dead husband to keep her family happy and excited for his return.

Pure Tragic Emotion

There’s one scene in this film that will stick with you. In the scene, teacher Zhang stops at a public theatrical performance with his girlfriend which the majority of the town appear to be watching. They watch for a minute before his girlfriend gets restless. But just when they start to walk on, Duyen appears on the stage and starts singing her part in the performance. Zhang, his girlfriend, and the whole audience are captivated as she sings emotionally for her lost love. Only us (the viewer) and Zhang know the pain she must be feeling, but she keeps singing the tragic lines of the song. In every line it feels like she is about to break down but she keeps singing for a few minutes until she finally breaks down and disappears behind the stage curtain. Pure cinematic emotion.

Conclusion and what to watch next

Some films are harder to pinpoint than others. The story line of When the Tenth Month Comes is a bit cliched and the music is often a bit overly dramatic, but this film succeeds where many of the greats don’t: it manages to translate raw emotion to film. As a result, it’s this transcendent portrayal of raw emotion is what makes this film one of the greats.

For more raw emotion I recommend checking out Umberto D. , one of the most emotional Italian neo-realist films. It follows the tragic plight of an old man trying to get by without a pension.

If it’s something more arty you’re looking for, check out Lav Diaz’s From What is Before. It’s a 5 hour 30 minute epic that charts life in a small village in rural Philippines under the Marcos dictatorship.

 

 

 

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Cocote Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

Are blood ties stronger than spirituality? Find out in Cocote as one man returns home to bury his father. Is it worth sacrificing a stable Christian life in the city for a family life he has tried to leave behind.

From: Dominican Republic, North America
Watch: Trailer, Buy Direct, Kanopy, Hoopla
Next: Batuque, White Sun, Blue Ruin
Continue reading “Cocote – Religion and Ritual in the Dominican Republic”

Liyana Film Difficulty Ranking: 1

If you’re looking for a great children powered docu-animation from eSwatini (Swaziland) you’ve come to the right place. Liyana is both a universal children’s story that everyone can relate to or sympathise with and a film which uses a unique way of storytelling. It’s familiar and unique.

From: eSwatini, Africa
Watch: Trailer, Request a Screening
Next: Africa United, Song of the Sea, The Missing Picture
Continue reading “Liyana – Mythical Animation from eSwatini”

If you like heartwarming stories of communities coming together you’ll love Supa Modo. Happy tears are pretty much guaranteed.

Supa Modo focuses on Jo, a young girl with a terminal illness, who is brought home by her mother and sister from the daycare where she lives with other kids like her. The only problem is that at home, she’s far away from her friends at the daycare. Instead of watching her favorite Kung Fu movies with her friends, her mum keeps her locked up indoors and buried under blankets to keep her protected from the outside world. Jo’s situation is more heartbreaking because despite her young age, she’s acutely aware of her mortality (“we all leave someday”) and seems to sense that her end is nearer now that her mother has brought her home.

Luckily for Jo, her neighbors want to help her feel special for her last few weeks on earth. They come together to help turn her into a superhero. The stunts they pull are a lot like the real life heartwarming story of Batkid, where San Francisco came together to turn a young cancer patient into Batman for the day. It demonstrates the power of film – they help people to escape from whatever troubles their experiencing; to generate happiness; and to bring people together.

Supa Modo is also a welcome alternative to the typical African festival film that focuses on war, poverty, and aids. It’s a perfect example of the Afro-Bubblegum style (see Akasha and Rafiki): a style that expands the view of Africa and who Africans are internationally with films that make art that is fun, frivolous, and fierce. It’s also refreshing to see a young character with a terminal illness that isn’t a white American (see Fault in their Stars and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl); all young people around the world experience the same depressing illnesses. So if you’re looking for a new African film that presents a different ‘African’ story to the war, poverty, and aids stories that typically make the festival circuit, check out the heartbreaking but inspiring Supa Modo.